One of my summer goals is to read, read and read some more. I tend to get lost in a book, so reading during the school year is harder for me. Also, we are reading so many books for school, which are very enjoyable, I don't feel the need to read for myself as much as I used to. Here are some books I am reading at the moment. But first, I have a question to ask. Do you read more than one book at a time or just one at a time? I wonder if that is a good thing or bad. Something to ponder!
First, I read this book last summer. I enjoyed every moment. So I wanted to mention it here because it preceeds the book I am reading right now.
I plan to read it again before the summer is over. "Woven into the story are more than 100 examples of what to look for on a naturewalk, Latin names for the living things observed by the characters, study question, nature poems and verses." And the storyline is entertaining as well. My only criticism is that it is hard to imagine anyone choosing to home educate their kids in the 1930's. Otherwise, I applaud Karen Andreola's method of teaching us Mother Culture. It's a must read for Charlotte Mason Method lovers.
Imagine my joy when I discovered by accident that Mrs. Andreola had written a sequel to my beloved Pocketful of Pinecones! Lessons at Blackberry Inn takes up right where the other book leaves off. This time the book teaches us about "the gentle art of learning."
Also by Karen Andreola is this book. I've been waiting to read this book with my daughter for a long time. She turns 10 next month. I think it is time. Oh my!
"Each (young girl & mother) could use guidance, a helping hand along the way (to womanhood.)" Need I say more?
Finally, I am just about finished with this book. I hesitated to list this book, because it comes from a lady who has a differing world view than myself. But, I have gleaned much from her. It's certainly work a look at it if it is at your library. But be warned. There are a few remarks that made my blood boil, only a few. She has a way of describing in detail the cycles of her food year that makes me feel encouraged to try to make more thoughtful choices about the food I feed my family.
We renewed our membership to our local zoo on Monday. I feel there is a lot to be learned at a zoo, and so the cost is worth it. Our zoo is a private organization and the fees are a bit high. So, we will be spending a lot of time there the next 12 months.
There are times when I literally ache because I was not born on a farm. (I did have the pleasure to spend 2 years on a farm, though, when I was a child.) I read wonderful books about farms and I ache more. We just finished Miracles on Maple Hill and again I longed to live on a farm. And here we are again, reading another wonderful, rich, beautiful book and here again I am longing to live in nature! Last night we began reading, Dune Boy, by Edwin Way Teale. After only reading the first three chapters, we are enchanted by his easy going narrative style.
Mr. Teale is writing about his own boyhood summers spent on his grandparents farm near my beloved Indiana Dunes. He spends the first few chapters telling us about his wonderful grandparents. His grandfather was born before the Civil War and was not well educated. However, Mr. Teale makes a good point in that his grandfather was also not spoiled by education either. His grandmother was educated and loved books. She would read aloud every evening and people would drop in to hear her. Just imagine that! She also loved flowers and every beautiful. Together they farmed a plot of land that might not look like a great place with its marshes.
If you can locate this gem, go get it and read it, right away! You too will be blessed. And just perhaps one day I will have a house near the Dunes. It could happen.
You just never know what you will find at a thrift store. Here is our find of the week!
When I saw this adorable little rain gauge, I had to take it home and add it to our front shade garden. Already, overnight, it registered one whole inch! (Yes, we've been getting a ton of rain, lately.)
If you'd like to see more Show & Tell entries, please seeMary, our hostess.
I wrote about our neat press before. Since then my daugter has become a pressing expert. But what do we do with all these pressings? Well, I finally figured it out. We took some glue and added a little water. Then we brushed it onto the paper, laid the pressing on top and brushed more glue on top of the pressing. This has lots of applications. You could add pressed flowers to cards, notes, book marks, whatever your heart desires. Here are some pictures of a page I did in my nature journal.
Gather the supplies.
Here's the before, a wild flower boquet my daughter pressed.
Here is the page in my nature journal, after it is glued, but not yet dry.
After it was dry, I labled the flowers that I knew.
May. 3, 2009~ Camping at Indiana Dunes State Park ~
One word comes to my mind when I think back to our short camping trip to the Indiana Dunes State Park this weekend and that is fantastic! It is so restorative to be in God's creation. Here are a few pictures from our trip. Enjoy.
Hiking from the campground to the beach is quite a workout.
Apr. 29, 2009~ What to do for Science next year? ~
It's that time of the year again, time to plan for next school year. I've been thinking a lot about our science studies. In the past, we've been terribly informal. Now I am wondering what we have to show for it all? One of my goals for next year is to be more diligent documenting what we are doing for Science. We do tons of Science. We just don't always write it down. I was also hoping to buy a Science curriculum for next year. But, as usual, budget restraints have dictated that I be frugal. This kind of stinks, to be blunt. I was hoping to have a check-the-box curriculum to do all the thinking for me. But, since I splurge and buy an expensive curriculum for our other studies, I have to be sensible in other areas. And really, I do have everything that I need to teach Science. I thought I would list those things right here on this blog to encourage myself and maybe a few others. I also plan to make a schedule and attempt to be held accountable to that schedule next year. When I see it all down in black and white, I see that I do have quite a lot, indeed!
Here are some pictures from one of our favorite parks, Central Park in Carmel, IN, just a few miles north of our home. The park is actually connected to the Monon Trail which runs across our back yard.
Of note on our walk we saw a blue bird. At first I thought it was an Indigo Bunting, but when I saw its red belly, I knew it was a blue bird. They are so pretty. I wish it would have cooperated for me to take its picture.
With only 37 more days until spring's arrival, and the unusually warm temperatures of yesterday, my thoughts naturally turn to spring. I long for its color, warmth, newness, and refreshment. Come spring! Do not tarry.
Have you heard of I. Lilias Trotter? Neither had I until one fateful day. I was browsing the new books at the library. There it was... A Blossom in the Desert compiled and edited by Miriam Huffman Rockness.
In the book I learned that "I. Lilias Trotter was a well-born daughter of a distinguished Victorian family whose heart led her unto volunteer work in London" and later as a missionary in Algeria. She was an artist. She was a theologian. She loved nature. She was the student of John Ruskin - artist, critic, social philosopher. He believed that without a knowledge of drawing, one could not fully appreciate nature: "I would rather teach drawing that my pupils may learn to love Nature, than teach the looking of Nature that they may learn to draw."
Here are a few quotes from the book.
"Measure thy life by loss and not by gain,
Not by the wine drunk, but by the wine poured forth,
For love's strength standeth in love's sacrifice,
And he who suffers most has most to give."
"Long is the time to learn
Short is the time to do,
Yet it is worth it all
If the work in the end be true."
"Take the very hardest thing in your life - the place of difficulty, outward or inward, and expect God to triumph gloriously in that very spot. Just there He can bring your soul into blossom."
I hope to find her autobiography, A Passion for the Impossible: The Life of Lilias Trotter also by Miriam Huffman Rockness at the library. I think I could glean a lot from Miss Trotter's wisdom.
Good night, sweet garden boxes. We had fun putting our boxes to bed for the winter. We covered them with leaves and moved the compost pile on top of the bigger one. Now it is time to dream about the spring. I plan to make some changes for the better, I hope.
I am thinking this will be the last garden update, at least with growing things in it. I am soon going to pull everything up and get the beds ready for a long winter's nap.
The Morning Glories are so lovely. I hate for the frost to come and kill them. Next year I will try to plant them earlier, even if I have to build a little greenhouse for them.
One last look at the tomatoes. There are still lots of little green ones. The weather is not cooperating for them to ripen.
Bell Peppers will be harvested this week, despite their small size.
Here's a look at one of our trees that lost most of its leaves this past week. Many of the trees are still full of leaves. We have lots of raking before us.
Welcome to my happy little place to learn about the study of nature and all things beautiful. This is my personal nature journal, where I hope to record my fledgling journey as a naturalist and my appreciation for the Master Gardener's creation. I will also display some of my favorite paintings and list some of my favorite living books and quotes. I hope you will enjoy your visit.
Dog Sharks
Rhinoceros
The Morning Glories are so lovely. I hate for the frost to come and kill them. Next year I will try to plant them earlier, even if I have to build a little greenhouse for them. 
